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Thursday, November 6, 2008

Community Needs Represent Opportunities As Well

Finally, the panelists addressed this last question:

When we, the faculty, engage our students in solving real-world problems we also enhance their learning. So, in what ways can you imagine the university (administration, faculty and/or students) collaborating with your organizations to address the challenges you identified above?

Omar Duque answered with one word: "Data." They need research and data about Latino businesses and business owners.

Barbara Linder described a summer job mentoring program that had great success. Under-performing high school students were matched with employees in local businesses for the summer. In the face of many obstacles--like taking buses from one end of town to the other in order to get to work by 8 am and--these students showed great responsibility, diligence and maturity. It would be wonderful to expand this program, Barbara said, and the university could collaborate to help make that happen.